Time Heals Everything
by tommarvoloriddle1
Summary: Naruto is chosen as the Jounin instructor of a new 3 genin team that not only brings back old memories, but helps him piece together his past and the puzzle which his present has become.
1. Chapter 1

Time heals everything.

Uzumaki Naruto, Jounin of Konahakugure, adopted brother of the Godaime Hokage, apprentice to one of the Three Legendary Sannin, a prison holding the mythical Kyuubi from unleashing herself on the face of the earth, also the only member of Team Seven still remaining.

Naruto loves watching the raindrops fall, they bring back memories, hurtful and wonderful both. He now knows what Sasuke had meant when he said that his dreams lay in the past. He often wonders of what could have been, but that has not stopped him from moving forward; yet…

"Just one more step, eh" he wonders, his dream of becoming Hokage is probably just around the corner. There is no way he would leave this childhood dream, and his final promise to his dying brother, unfulfilled. It has been over a year, but the scars wounds are still raw. He recollects his promise to his brother, the one he found again and lost almost immediately. Words whispered into his ear by a voice so low he might have imagined them, "Become Hokage …and don't die, ba-ka", he nods blankly as he feels the hand gripping his arm loosen up and fall away, and those red eyes fade away into those familiar deep black pools that had enchanted Sakura even when they were so far away from each other.

His closest friend, Sakura, of the cherry blossoms, with that amazing zest for life, who was always there for him, through good and bad. His little crush on her had long since transmuted itself into something worth its weight in all things priceless. She had always worn her heart on her sleeve, and had lived the best she could, except when it came to that stupid idiot who hadn't realized what he meant to her, or she to him, until that fateful day had come. Her last words to him before they had left for that ill fated meeting had been so bright and hopeful, "Naruto, lets all of us, Sasuke-kun, you and me begin afresh today…"

Too bad that things had turned out the way they had, but at least she had given her life for her love, even if she had left him behind, alone, the smile on her face as she passed onto her next life was something he would never forget, it held so many feelings, but the love for those she held precious, for those she would protect no matter what, shone through all others.

"Kakashi-sensei, I wonder what is next, on this mysterious road of life, which had always kept you from reaching us on time, except at the time when it mattered most, and you took the weight of the world on your shoulders to save me, to save your comrades and risking the mission to do it. I hope you are at peace, reading those perverted novels wherever you are, because you have laid Obito-san's ghost to rest."

He looks out of the window. The rain has stopped falling, the sky looks clean, the world has been washed and now put out to dry, and it is finally time for him to go and see the Hokage and do whatever it was that she would want him to.


	2. Jounin Instructor ? Uzumaki Naruto?

**CHAPTER 2** – **_Jounin Instructor, Uzumaki Naruto?_**

Naruto walked straight into Tsunade's office, as usual, without knocking. His impatience with formalities was well known, but Tsunade knew better, she only wished that the old perverted fool had taught him some elementary manners as well. However, the scowl on her face couldn't last long, not when Naruto was grinning that typical grin of his. She still tried to hide from him the fact that she was desperately fond of him, but it slipped out ever so often.

She watched him seat himself on a chair in front of her. How he had grown, from a clumsy prankster to an elite ninja. He looked fit and tall, and walked around in his customary jacket, though it was now more black than orange, with the Konoha symbol on its back. Those sparkling blue eyes had lessened not the slightest in their intensity, but she had also sometimes seen a slightly lost look on his face , when she surreptitiously glanced at his face so that he wouldn't know she was looking, and that worried her a lot. She smiled back at him as he sat down in the chair.

"Hi, Tsunade-baa-chan" said Naruto, as he watched the smile disappear into another scowl. Huh, he still had a measure of the old lady after all.

"When will you stop calling me that, Naruto? Oh, never mind, if you want to act your age after all these years and be a little kid, go ahead… I don't think anything I say is going to stop you from calling me Granny." said Tsunade, watching Naruto's grin widen even more. He reminded her more and more of the Fourth as the days went past.

"Well, you know that the Academy graduation exams are over, don't you?" not bothering to wait for an answer, she pushed ahead. "Well, you are now a Jounin, and even though you managed to escape the responsibility last year, this year you will be in charge of a rookie team, like it or not" said Tsunade.

"But… but… come on, you know I will be no good with kids, don't you think they would be better off with someone who has their basics right, unlike me. Say, what about Neji, can't you make him do it?" said Naruto, trying to squiggle out of this ridiculousness.

"Well, Neji and Lee have already been assigned teams last year, and they are yet to graduate to Chuunin, while Kiba and Hinata will also be assigned teams along with you this year. The rest are away on various missions and are not available. Besides, Shikamaru has specifically requested me to assign you to a particular team and I see no reason to turn down such a specific request from the Academy instructor."

"Uh, well, I'll think about it and tell you tomorrow morning…ok?" asked Naruto, nervously looking for an exit. "Damn, what is Shikamaru thinking? I should go and Sexy-no-jutsu that woman hater (except for Temari-san, of course) till he drops dead." He thought vindictively.

"NO! Tomorrow is when you will report at the academy at 8 'o' clock sharp, and if perchance you happen to not come, I will personally send the entire ANBU unit after your sorry ass" threatened Tsunade.

"…"

"Don't worry, Naruto. I have complete faith in you, and so does Shikamaru."

She added gently.

"Well, handling three young leaves is no big deal for the man who is going to be Hokage! Goodbye… baa-chan" said Naruto, as he grinned back at her and made a hasty exit.


	3. The Dove and the Deer

** CHAPTER 3: The Dove and the Deer.**

Naruto was on his way back, wondering what on earth could Shikamaru's motives be to especially ask for him to be an instructor. He decided to pay him a short visit to find out his reasons. He knew that Shikamaru was easily the smartest ninja in all of Konoha, and if he had asked for Naruto, there would be some strong reason for it. Besides, he actually found himself looking forward to these new Genins. It wasn't like there were a truckload of missions waiting to be tackled. The entire Akatsuki mess and the Orochimaru mess had been swept under the carpet. All the different angles, Orochimaru's, Akatsuki's and Konoha's had smashed into each other in a major war in a bid to enhance their strength, and Naruto had been caught right in its midst. And when things had finally sorted themselves out, he found himself short on a couple of teammates and a sensei.

On the other hand, he had grown much closer to Tsunade-baa-chan, Ero-Sennin and a certain pretty white eyed girl. Though he would never think of admitting it, the fact remained that some of his sensei's interests in members of the opposite sex had rubbed off on him. Even Tsunade-baa-chan had commented on how he seemed to become more and more like Jiraiya every day. And this had something to do with his noticing of Hinata initially.

However, her sensitivity and spirit had worked its way into his heart and held him captive. But he wasn't sure what she felt about him, as was her case, and when it came down to it, neither of them had had the guts to open up to the other, and Tsunade had to intervene to prevent two of her valuable Jounins from daydreaming during important missions. Her matchmaking had paid off, and Konoha's new insanity and the Hyuuga clan's heir were now officially together, and everyone who knew them agreed that they had to be the cutest couple in their part of the world.

"Ah yes, Tsunade-baa-chan did mention that Hinata-chan is also going to take up a position like mine, and so is that loudmouth Kiba." He paused, he was at the Academy gate already, and as he walked into the place, nostalgia swept upon him. It had been so long since he had been to this place. Right now it was deserted, but it seemed like it was sleeping, and not dead. The academy was probably taking a break after withstanding a few hundred hyperactive ninja wannabes.

"Naruto! What are you doing here, come to visit me at long last, eh?" said a voice from further down the hallway, as Shikamaru stepped into the light with a smile on his face.

"Well, I had a chat with old lady Tsunade just now and …" started Naruto,

"and… she let slip my name in the conversation, did she?" asked Shikamaru, letting a small sigh escape his lips. "Don't take this the wrong way, Naruto, but these kids in your team are, well, I'm sure they would come along beautifully if you were to be their teacher. I would rather you found out yourself why it is that I think so. Sheesh… do you really think I would do something as troublesome as going and talking to Hokage-sama about this if it weren't a very good reason ?"

"…Well, knowing you, guess not!"

"Hehe… well, that's settled then. Well, give my regards to Hinata and don't forget to turn up around 8 'o' clock here tomorrow morning."

"But, you still haven't given me any reasons" yelled Naruto at his retreating friend's back.

"Don't worry, it'll be fine, I'm sure" Shikamaru called back.

**Authors note**: I'm reposting this chapter as I'm not really happy with the way it was… still am unhappy, but never mind.

Also, I request you guys to put up with another couple of short chapters as I need them as a base builder without revealing too much about what happened etc…


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